MV Miner removal to start with set up of base camp
Old freighter has been stuck on Scatarie Island since 2011
A base camp for workers will be set up soon so that work can begin to remove a decaying bulk carrier stuck off Cape Breton.
The MV Miner ran aground on Scatarie Island, a protected wilderness area, in September 2011. It's been sitting on the rocks ever since.
Gary Campbell, president of Nova Scotia Lands, the Crown corporation overseeing the removal, said his team will meet with the contractor on Monday to discuss safety protocols.
He said later in the week, the contractor will drill a well and set up a camp to accommodate up to 40 workers.
"They need to think about water supply, sewage and get in all the equipment up there so they can start the real work," he said.
RJ MacIsaac Construction Ltd. was awarded the $12-million contract.
The removal plan involves filling in around the 12,000-tonne ship so workers can do more of the work from land.
Campbell said the material taken from the ship will likely be processed in Sydney before it's taken elsewhere for disposal.
He hopes the work will be completed by November.